| Cha Seung-won (차승원) | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 7, 1970 Anyang, South Korea |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism[1] |
| Spouse | Lee Su-jin[1] |
| Children | Cha No-ah Cha Ye-ni[1] |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 차승원 |
| Hanja | 車勝元 |
| Revised Romanization | Cha Seung-won |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'a Sŭngwŏn |
Cha Seung-won (Born June 7, 1970 in Seoul) is a top South Korean actor and former fashion model.
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Cha Seung-won dropped out of Sungkyunkwan University[1] and began a successful career as a fashion model in 1988.[2] He was cast in the TV sitcom New York Story, which would eventually pave the way for his debut in film.[3]
Although his debut film Holiday in Seoul (1997) and many of his subsequent roles did not establish him as a major star, he attracted attention in 2000 for his performance as an arsonist in the firefighting film Libera Me. The following summer, the runaway success of Kim Sang-jin's comedy Kick the Moon (over 4.3 million tickets sold) secured his place in the industry as a leading actor with strong star appeal.[3] Since then, Cha has become one of the few surefire box office draws in the country. In a 2005 survey of influential movie producers, he was ranked among the top ten most bankable stars.[4]
In early 2003, Cha took on a slightly more serious role as a corrupt schoolteacher who is transferred to a country school in the film My Teacher, Mr. Kim. The film grossed over 2.4 million admissions and drew Cha additional praise for his acting abilities (he would later team up again with the director for 2007 comedy Small Town Rivals[5]). His next role, in Ghost House, reunited him with director Kim Sang-jin in a successful comedy about a man who buys a dream home, only to discover it is haunted by a young female ghost.[3]
In 2005 Cha put aside the comic roles he had become known for and appeared in the grisly period thriller Blood Rain.[6][7] The film's unexpectedly robust commercial success confirmed Cha's popularity among Korean audiences.[3] Cha went on to appear in two films by renowned comedy director Jang Jin -- Murder, Take One[8][9][10] and My Son.[11]
He starred in his first melodrama Over the Border, about a North Korean defector.[12][13][14] Stylish crime thrillers Eye for an Eye[15] and Secret[16] followed.
2010 was a busy year for Cha,[17][18] acting in the Lee Jun-ik-helmed period actioner Blades of Blood[19] and Korean War film 71: Into the Fire.[20][21]
Cha returned to television in 2009, in the political fairytale City Hall,[22] followed by spy series Athena: Goddess of War in 2010.[23][24][25][26] In 2011 his character in the hit romantic comedy The Greatest Love, arrogant top star "Dokko Jin" became a mini pop culture phenomenon, giving rise to numerous commercial deals and parodies, as well as awards for Cha.[27][28][29][30][31][32]
Cha married early when he was an eighteen-year-old college freshman in 1989. He and his wife have 2 children, son Cha No-ah (born 1989, christened as Noah) and daughter Cha Ye-ni (born 2003, christened as Rachel).[33][34][35]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Blades of Blood | Lee Mong-hak |
| 71: Into the Fire | Park Moo-rang | |
| 2009 | Secret | Kim Seong-yeol |
| 2008 | Eye for an Eye | Ahn Hyun-min |
| 2007 | My Son | Lee Kang-shik |
| Small Town Rivals | Jo Choon-sam | |
| 2006 | Over the Border | Kim Sun-ho |
| 2005 | Murder, Take One | Choi Yeon-gi |
| Blood Rain | Lee Won-kyu | |
| 2004 | Lovely Rivals | cameo - Kim Bong-du |
| Ghost House | Park Pil-gi | |
| 2003 | My Teacher, Mr. Kim | Kim Bong-du |
| 2002 | Jail Breakers | Moo-seok |
| Break Out | Yang Cheol-gon | |
| 2001 | Kick the Moon | Choi Ki-woong |
| 2000 | Libera Me | Yeo Hee-su |
| Black Honeymoon | Kim Joon-ho | |
| 1999 | Attack the Gas Station | cameo |
| A Century's End | ||
| Ghost in Love | Na Han-su | |
| 1998 | If the Sun Rises in the West | Ji-min |
| 1997 | Holiday in Seoul | Leg model's boyfriend |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Greatest Love (MBC) | Dokko Jin |
| 2010 | Athena: Goddess of War (SBS) | Son Hyuk |
| 2009 | City Hall (SBS) | Jo Gook |
| 2003 | Bodyguard (KBS2) | Hong Kyung-tak |
| 1999 | Love Story: "Message" (SBS) | |
| Woman On Top (SBS) | Seung-il | |
| Roses and Bean Sprouts (MBC) | Choi Gyoo-dae | |
| Women vs. Women (MBC) | ||
| 1998 | Angel's Kiss (KBS2) | Jang Tae-ju |
| Shy Lover (MBC) | Im Sung-bom | |
| Barefoot Run (MBC) | ||
| Song of the Wind (SBS) | ||
| 1997 | New York Story (SBS) |